North Kent Marshes facts for kids

The North Kent Marshes are a large area of wet and dry land found in the northern part of Kent, a county in south-east England. They stretch along the banks and inlets of the Thames Estuary. These marshes are very important for nature and are recognized as one of the UK's 22 Environmentally Sensitive Areas by the government. They are also part of a special area called the Thames Gateway. A big part of the marshes, covering about 5,289 hectares (20.4 square miles), is a SSSI, which means it's a place with special wildlife or geology.

Cliffe Creek Fleet. This picture shows the complex landscape of the marshes, with a fleet (a narrow channel) in the front, then a bank and one of the pools managed by the RSPB, and finally the chalk hills where Cliffe village is located.

Cliffe pools are home to many birds, even though the area is still used for digging up minerals.

Protecting the North Kent Marshes

The North Kent Marshes stretch across several local areas, including Dartford, Gravesham, Medway, Swale, and Canterbury.

These marshes are very important and are protected by special plans for Kent and Medway. Local laws make sure their environmental benefits are considered. The marshes also act like a natural flood barrier, helping to protect London from floods.

Amazing Wildlife of the Marshes

For thousands of years, most of the northern edge of Kent has been marshland. This vast area of marshes, about 35 miles long and often 1 to 2 miles wide, still exists today. It stretches from the town of Dartford in the west to the area west of Whitstable in the east. Along this coast, you'll find towns like the Medway Towns (Chatham, Gillingham, and Rochester), as well as Sittingbourne and Faversham. You can explore parts of the marshes by walking along the Saxon Shore Way footpath.

The North Kent Marshes are known as one of the most important natural wetlands in northern Europe. Many people, including local landowners and wildlife groups, help look after them. The RSPB says that up to 300,000 migrating birds use the mudflats of the Thames marshes every year. These birds stop here to rest and feed on their long journeys between the Arctic and Africa.

The RSPB owns and manages large parts of the Cliffe marshes on the Hoo Peninsula. They have special nature reserves at Cliffe pools, Northward Hill, High Halstow, and Elmley Marshes on the Isle of Sheppey. The Medway Council also manages a riverside park at Gillingham that is open to the public.

The North Kent Marshes are a vital home for the European water vole, a small rodent that loves living near water. Areas like Shorne and Higham marshes, parts of Cliffe and Cooling marsh, Allhallows, Grain marshes, and Sheppey are some of the most important places for water voles in Britain.